Announcements 2025.5.20

[Walker, Jane]

1.) Webinar: Investing in Clean Water: “Pay-For-Performance” Based Approaches to Watershed Restoration – May 21, 2025
2.) Volunteers Needed: Pine Cone Harbour Project – Multiple Dates, Next Registration Deadline: May 29, 2025
3.) Webcast: Understanding Gasification for PFAS Removal – May 29, 2025
4.) Request for Proposals: 20^th Annual Chesapeake Watershed Forum – Submission Deadline: June 1, 2025; Forum: November 7-9, 2025
5.) UCOWR/NIWR 2025 Annual Conference – June 3-5, 2025
6.) Public Participation Opportunities: Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Cleanup Studies and Implementation Plans – Various Dates, Next Comment Period Ends: June 4, 2025
7.) Film Screening: Surf & Turf – June 11, 2025
8.) 40th Annual Batteau Fest – June 11-21, 2025
9.) Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) Summer Quarterly Meeting – July 16, 2025
10.) Request for Proposals: Chesapeake Bay Trust Capacity Building Initiative (CBI) – Deadline: July 17, 2025
11.) Course: Geomorphic and Ecological Fundamentals for River and Stream Restoration – August 18-22, 2025
12.) Plant This, Not That – https://thejamesriver.org/2025-plant-this-not-that/
13.) Water Center Jobs Board – https://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/jobs/ 
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See recent announcements and learn more about the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC) at www.VirginiaWMC.org. Feel free to forward these announcements. When forwarding, please acknowledge the VWMC. If you have a water-related announcement of regional or statewide interest, send it to vw...@vt.edu and ask that it be distributed to the VWMC membership. If someone forwarded this message to you, you can join the VWMC for free by sending your name, water-monitoring affiliation (if applicable), and contact information (email address, mailing address, and phone number) to vw...@vt.edu. Thank you to the VWMC’s intern, Logan Flanagan, for developing today’s announcements, and congratulations to Logan for graduating from Virginia Tech last week with a degree in Water: Resources, Policy, and Management!
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1.) Webinar: Investing in Clean Water: “Pay-For-Performance” Based Approaches to Watershed Restoration – May 21, 2025 (12-1pm) – This webinar will discuss how Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia will use performance-based strategies to incentivize greater water quality improvements. Learn more and register at https://chesapeake.org/crc-roundtable/. Organized by the Chesapeake Research Consortium.
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2.) Volunteers Needed: Pine Cone Harbour Project – Multiple Dates – Hampton, VA -- Volunteers are needed to install a 1,000-linear foot living shoreline oyster sill at Pine Cone Harbour Condominiums along the Hampton River. Learn more and register at https://www.cbf.org/events/virginia/pine-cone-harbour-project-events.html. Organized by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
   ++ Oyster Castles -- Week 3: Registration Deadline: May 29, 2025; Dates: June 2-6, 2025; Week 4: Registration Deadline: June 5, 2025; Dates: June 9-11, 2025
   ++ Basalt Shell Bags – Trailer Loading: Registration Deadline: June 12, 2025; Dates: June 16, 2025 (9am-1pm); Install: Registration Deadline: June 12, 2025; Dates: June 17-18 & June 20, 2025
   ++ Loose Oyster Shells -- Week 1: Registration Deadline: June 19, 2025; Dates: June 23-27, 2025; Week 2: Registration Deadline: June 27, 2025; Dates: July 2-3, 2025
   ++ Loose Oyster Shells Trailer Loading – Registration Deadline: June 26, 2025; Dates: June 30, 2025 (9am-12pm)
   ++ Litter Cleanup – Registration Deadline: July 1, 2025; Date: July 9, 2025
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3.) Webcast: Understanding Gasification for PFAS Removal – May 29, 2025 (3-4pm) – This webcast will share the results of a project comprehensively studying the performance and feasibility of a full-scale thermal drying and gasification facility to remove or destroy PFAS. Learn more and register at https://www.waterrf.org/webcasts. Organized by the Water Research Foundation.
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4.) Request for Proposals: 20^th Annual Chesapeake Watershed Forum – Submission Deadline: June 1, 2025; Forum: November 7-9, 2025 – Shepherdstown, WV – Theme: “Shaping the Future of Conservation with Human-Centered Approaches” – Soliciting proposals for 60, 90, and 180-minute sessions focusing on human-centered approaches. Office hours are available to assist participants in creating proposals (office hours end: May 30, 2025). Learn more and submit a proposal at https://www.allianceforthebay.org/2025-watershed-forum-requests-for-proposals-for-sessions/. Organized by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.
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5.) UCOWR/NIWR 2025 Annual Conference – June 3-5, 2025 – Minneapolis, MN – Theme: “Water. Place. People” -- Learn more and register at https://ucowr.org/conference/. Organized by the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR) and the National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR).
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6.) Public Participation Opportunities: Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Cleanup Studies and Implementation Plans – Learn more about TMDL studies under development across Virginia at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/our-programs/water/water-quality/tmdl-development/tmdls-under-development. Learn more about Virginia’s cleanup implementation plans under development at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/our-programs/water/water-quality/implementation/implementation-plans-under-development/.
   ++ Cleanup Plan: North Fork Rivanna River Watershed (Albemarle and Greene County) – Comment Period Ends: June 4, 2025 -- https://townhall.virginia.gov/l/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=41601
   ++ Cleanup Study: Deep Run, Dover Creek, Upham Brook Watersheds (Henrico County, Goochland County, City of Richmond) – Comment Period Ends: June 9, 2025 -- https://townhall.virginia.gov/l/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=41600
   ++ Cleanup Study: Wolf Creek (Washington County) – June 25, 2025 (3pm) – Abingdon, VA -- Meeting participants will assist in the development of a cleanup study for sediments to address benthic impairments. -- https://townhall.virginia.gov/l/ViewMeeting.cfm?MeetingID=41746.
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7.) Film Screening: Surf & Turf – June 11, 2025 (5pm-6:30pm) – Staunton, VA – From the headwater streams of the Shenandoah Valley to the expanse of the Chesapeake Bay, this film shows how two seemingly different worlds can unite for a shared cause of clean air and water. Learn more and register for the event at https://shenandoahalliance.org/surf-and-turf/. Organized by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.
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8.) 40th Annual Batteau Fest – June 11-21, 2025 -- Events kick off in Lynchburg. Learn more at https://www.lynchburgparksandrec.com/programs-and-activities/40th-annual-batteau-fest/.  Supported by Lynchburg Parks & Recreation.
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9.) Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) Summer Quarterly Meeting – July 16, 2025 (11:30am-1pm) – Participants will hear how three communities addressed invasive plant species in their neighborhoods in a panel-style format. Learn more and register at https://blueridgeprism.org/events/.
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10.) Request for Proposals: Chesapeake Bay Trust Capacity Building Initiative (CBI) – Deadline: July 17, 2025 (5pm) – The Capacity Building Grant Program seeks to support the capacity of organizations working at the intersection of natural resource and community well-being. Capacity-building projects address challenges to improve an organization or local government’s long-term effectiveness. Local governments and nonprofit organizations that provide services within the Chesapeake Bay watershed and/or have a water and natural resource focus are encouraged to apply. Funding requests should not exceed $40,000 for non-profits and $150,000 for local governments. Learn more and apply at https://cbtrust.org/grants/capacity-building/. Funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust.
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11.) Course: Geomorphic and Ecological Fundamentals for River and Stream Restoration – August 18-22, 2025 – Truckee, CA – This course emphasizes understanding geomorphic and ecological processes as a sound basis for planning and designing river restoration, covering general principles and case studies. The course includes field measurements, mapping, interpretation, and field trips to the Truckee River and streams in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Learn more and register at https://berkeleyriverlab.org/geomorphic-ecological-fundamentals-of-river-and-stream-restoration/. Early-bird registration ends May 31, 2025. Organized by the River Lab at UC Berkley.
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12.) Plant This, Not That – This guide to native plants that look similar to common invasives but are more beneficial to the local ecosystem. Access the new resource at https://thejamesriver.org/2025-plant-this-not-that/. Offered by the James River Association.
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13.) Water Center Jobs Board – View a listing of current job opportunities and employment resources on the Jobs Board at https://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/jobs/.  Developed by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center (Water Center).
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The VWMC announcements are provided with support from the Virginia Water Resources Research Center. Thank you to our sponsor!

You too can sponsor the VWMC announcements.  Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the VWMC to support information updates and other VWMC activities.  Make checks payable to: “The Virginia Tech Foundation” and on the memo portion of the check include “VWMC Fund #872802.” Mail contributions to the Virginia Water Resources Research Center (0444, Attn: Jane Walker) at 210 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Tech; 310 West Campus Drive; Blacksburg, VA 24061.